Did you know that about every 25 seconds someone in the U.S. is having a coronary event? This makes heart disease the leading cause of death in the U.S. And that's why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has declared February as American Heart Month.

In recognition of the importance of heart health, Mayo Clinic is releasing a new book, "Mayo Clinic Healthy Heart for Life!" during American Heart Month. What's novel about this book is that it puts the latest guidelines for combating heart disease to work for you with an easy two-week quick-start program. It will get you working on new lifestyle habits that can help prevent heart disease.

I challenge you to jump on the healthy heart bandwagon. For the next two weeks, I want you to:

Eat 5. Eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables every day.

Move 10. Increase activity and exercise at least 10 minute more than you typically do every day.

Sleep 8. Get 8 hours of sleep every night.

Each of these simple-sounding habits addresses complex body functions.

By eating 5 or more fruits and vegetables every day you fuel your body with powerful vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants and other healthy plant compounds. These help lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels, regulate your heartbeat, and protect delicate blood vessels. These foods also are filling and displace heavier, fattier starches and meats.

By increasing your physical activity 10 minutes a day you'll burn a few more calories and make improvements in your blood pressure, cholesterol, heart and blood vessel strength, and overall fitness levels. Just get on your feet — stand up during commercials, walk while on the phone. It's a fact that sitting most of the day increases your risk for heart disease.

Did you know that sleep deprivation itself increases blood pressure and risk for heart attack? Lack of sleep also increases risk for obesity and diabetes — which are also associated with heart disease. Chances are, if you're not rested, you're more stressed too. Get to bed earlier so you can get a good 8 hours of sleep.

Keep track every day of how you do with these goals over the next few weeks. Did you eat 5? Did you move 10? How about sleeping 8? What's important is that you try to do them.

Check back here to report your progress and share your strategies. Of course, there are other things you'll need to do for heart health. I'm sure you'll find that this quick start for a healthy heart will be enough to motivate you to make other needed healthy changes.

Good ideas, but what do you do if your husband snores? If you are diabetic, above ground veggies and berries are all you should have. Get up and move often certainly helps. Stress does me in every time!

Ruth

August 28, 2013 11:53 p.m.

I believe this to be excellent advice. I have been adding a vegetable &amp; fruit smoothie to most days since mid January and have lost ten pounds. However, I have had great difficulty getting enough sleep since my husband died ten years ago. Any advice to increase sleep time?

Alice

August 28, 2013 12:12 p.m.

@Linda - please do let your son eat his kale and spinach, and a full variety of greens, beans and vegetables of all colors too. If a body has too little vitamin K it can cause &quot;thin&quot; blood (blood that clots poorly) so vitamin K is sometimes given to improve poor clotting. That's quite different than thinking that avoiding it would prevent &quot;thik&quot; blood. Your friends advice is confused! Vitamin K intake supports normal clotting - and we need to be able to clot to avoid uncontrolled bleeding and internal hemorrhages. There have been plenty of studies, and people eating vegan diets (no meat, no dairy, no eggs...) and people eating a plant based diet are LESS likely to have stroke and cardiovascular disease. Please, eat all the whole, fresh and frozen unprocessed veggies your family can - just cook with lower fat cooking methods, avoid excessive sauces, sugar and salt. Please visit
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/more-than-an-apple-a-day-preventing-our-most-common-diseases/ to learn more from a credible non-profit source.

Jennae

August 28, 2013 11:43 a.m.

Don't let anyone tell you that no salt diets are tasty. In our household, we stick to a very low salt diet because of a family member's CHF. Almost no foods taste fit to eat! The cardiologist was correct when he said, &quot;if it tastes good, spit it out&quot;. No herb or spice in the world can take the place of salt. I think we've tried every one of them and wasted hundreds of dollars!

Carol

May 17, 2012 12:04 a.m.

I am having difficulty feeding my husband for good health lifestyle. He has Hypertension, Metabolic Syndrome, and Obesity (BMI&gt;35) and severe Diverticulosis with removal of extensive polyps of ascending and transverse colon. The huge polyps in Cecum area were right next to his previous appendectomy scar, performed in a field hospital in Viet Nam while under fire.
How and what can I feed him. diet now eliminates seeds, nuts, legums, red meat, fried foods,no added salt or sugar.
Please help a frustrated wife/cook to have better choices for husband's meals.

Dorothy

May 2, 2012 2:23 a.m.

I don't totally agree with evnerthiyg she says. I have a healthy sense of balance and skepticism; however, I really only listened at first because she's attractive but after a couple of videos she certainly made a solid case for her points which correlate with the majority of nutritionalists. Lower the processed foods, exercise, and eat in moderation and get enough sleep. Yeah sleep, if you're tired your body craves refined carbs or for coffee addicts caffeine to help stimulate the brain.

Nastya

April 21, 2012 10:44 p.m.

I think we should follow a healthy food habit to keep ourselves healthy.

Asin

February 27, 2012 1:31 p.m.

I've been doing this for the past week and I can already tell a difference. It's difficult for me to sleep at night, as well as trying to fill my need for sweets without eating unhealthy cakes or candies. Switching to fruit has made me more energetic, and finding more time for sleep has helped me get through my days easier. Thanks!

jordan

February 8, 2012 1:28 p.m.

My husband and I have veeb following this program since his heart attack in NOv. What a difference in approaching healthy food choices. It becomes a natural choice after the first two weeks.

Marlen

February 7, 2012 3:46 p.m.

In addition to your food choices, you should check-out the &quot;The Leptin Diet&quot; by Byron J. Richards of Wellness Resources Inc.
It totally convinced me that when you eat can be almost as important as what you eat.
Several years ago I lost 25 pounds following this diet, and have easily kept in off. I'm 73, weight 140 pounds, and exercise 30 minutes per day six days per week.

Richard

February 6, 2012 7:44 p.m.

Hogwash. These combined steps can do more harm than good. There are one-size-fits-all healthy heart tips, no such thing. Most fruits are very high in sugar. Most green vegetables oxalate, naturally. Yes, increase exercise and physical activities. This step will most always do good for your body overall healthy. Eat slowly and frequently throughout the day, never at night. Eight hours of sleep will come naturally, not forced.
Who do you two work for, promoting fruits and vegetables? Is it: Dole Fruit Company, Indianapolis Fruit Company, The Albert Fisher Group, Chiquita Brands International, Del Monte Foods, et al.

Masy

February 6, 2012 1:39 p.m.

OK, You got me, I'll try this. You must understand I do none of these three steps now. I eat one meal at night, usually whatever there is, and rarely no more than one vegetable. I do move quite a bit during the day so ten more minutes is not going to be difficult at all. Eight hours of sleep on the other hand seems nearly impossible. I'm lucky if I five or six. I'm fifty eight years old and perhaps it's time for a lifestyle change. Thanks for posting these three steps. It is very appreciated. I'll check in and let you know how I do.
Dick

DICK

February 3, 2012 9:28 a.m.

I just think everyone should take care of their self in a healthy way..

Alisa

February 3, 2012 9:27 a.m.

We eat a lot of Kale and Spinach as a family. I know those leafy green have high Vitamin K. My teenage son by a friend not to eat too much of those because they will thicken his blood. Is it true? I don't want any of us to have stroke because of eating spinach and kale.

Legal Conditions and Terms

Reprint Permissions

A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.org," "Mayo Clinic Healthy Living," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.